Hawaii County, Hawaii facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hawaii County
U.S. county
W. H. Shipman House
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Hawaii
Hawaii's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Hawaii
Founded	1905
Named for	Hawaiian Islands
Seat	Hilo
Largest city	Hilo
Area
• Total	5,086.70 sq mi (13,174.5 km2)
• Land	4,028.02 sq mi (10,432.5 km2)
• Water	1,058.69 sq mi (2,742.0 km2)  20.81%
Population  (2020)
• Total	200,629
• Density	46/sq mi (17.7/km2)
Time zone	UTC−10 (Hawaii–Aleutian)
• Summer (DST)	HADT
Congressional district	2nd

Hawaii County (Hawaiian: Kalana o Hawaiʻi) (officially known as the County of Hawaiʻi) is a county in the U.S. state of Hawaii in the Hawaiian Islands. It is coextensive with the Island of Hawaii, often called the "Big Island" to distinguish it from the state as a whole. The 2020 Census population was 200,629. The county seat is Hilo. There are no incorporated cities in Hawaii County (see Hawaii Counties). The Hilo Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Hawaii County. Hawaii County has a mayor–council form of government. Hawaii County is the largest county in the state in terms of geography.

The mayor of Hawaii County is Mitch Roth, who took office in 2020. Legislative authority is vested in a nine-member Hawaii County Council.

Hawaii County is one of seven counties in the United States to share the same name as the state they are in (the other six are Arkansas County, Idaho County, Iowa County, New York County, Oklahoma County, and Utah County).

Geography

Hawaiʻi County has a total area of 5,086.70 square miles (13,174.5 km²); 4,028.02 square miles (10,432.5 km²) is land and 1,058.69 square miles (2,742.0 km²) is water (mostly all off the ocean shoreline but counted in the total area by the U.S. Census Bureau). The county's land area comprises 62.7 percent of the state's land area. It is the highest percentage by any county in the United States. (Delaware's Sussex County comes in second at 48.0 percent, while Rhode Island's Providence County is third at 39.55 percent.)

Major Highways

• Route 11
• Route 19
• Route 130
• Route 132
• Route 137
• Route 190
• Route 200
• Route 250
• Route 270
• Route 2000

Adjacent counties

• Maui County - northwest

Demographics

As of 2010^[update], the island had a resident population of 185,079. There were 64,382 households in the county. The population density was 17.7/km² (45.9/mi²). There were 82,324 housing units at an average density of 8/km² (20/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was 34.5% White, 29.2% from two or more races, 22.6% Asian, 12.4% Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander and 0.7% African American; 11.8% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race. The largest ancestry groups were:

There were 64,382 households, out of which 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.6% were married couples living together, 13.2% had a woman whose husband did not live with her, and 30.4% were non-families. 23.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.24.

The age distribution was 26.1% under 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 26.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 100 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98 males.

41.3% of the people on Hawaii island are religious, meaning they affiliate with a religion. 18.4% are Catholic; 3.7% are of another Christian faith; 5.1% are LDS; 5.0% are of an Eastern faith; 0.1% are Muslim.

Localities

Census-designated places

Other communities

• Ahualoa
• Hakalau
• Waiohinu

National protected areas

• Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail
• Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge
• Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park
• Honokōhau Settlement and Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park
• Kona Forest National Wildlife Refuge
• Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park
• Puʻukoholā Heiau National Historic Site

Sister cities

Hawaii County has 10 sisters:

• Hualien City, Taiwan (1971)
• La Serena, Chile (1994)
• Legazpi City, Philippines (1970)
• Nago City, Okinawa, Japan (1986)
• Izu Ōshima, Japan (1962)
• Sao Miguel Island, Portugal (1980)
• Shibukawa, Gunma, Japan (1997)
• Sumoto, Hyōgo, Japan (2000)
• Tasmania, Australia (1997)
• Yurihama, Tottori, Japan (1996)

Economy

Top employers

According to the county's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the county are:

Education

• University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo
• University of the Nations
• Hawaiʻi Community College

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Hawái para niños